Council Backs Bishops Corner Redevelopment Project

The town council unanimously approved an application by developers Edens and Avant Tuesday night to change the zoning designation at the Marshalls plaza in Bishops Corner so that a package of $17 million in improvements can be made to the shopping area.

After a lengthy public hearing during which nearby residents voiced concern about noise, traffic and truck deliveries, the developers made changes to the application before the council voted on it.

Among other things, those changes included agreeing to suggested conditions on the landscaping buffer between the plaza and nearby homes, committing to a limit of five minutes on the idling of delivery trucks, agreeing that no planned activities in the public part of the plaza happen after 8 p.m., agreeing that no sound amplification be used after 8 p.m., and agreeing to police any loitering after 8 p.m. The developers also said they would increase the height of the sound barrier on the western side of the dining area — closest to the neighborhood — to 8 feet.

A year after the plaza has been operating under the new conditions, the developers also agreed to come back for another public hearing to address any remaining concerns that residents may have.

The package of improvements proposed by Edens and Avant include adding landscaping, modernizing the exteriors, creating an outdoor patio area where patrons can dine, removing the parking garage, adding connecting walkways, and creating more fluid traffic lanes in the parking lot. The last step in receiving approval was a vote by the Town Council, which also acts as the town’s zoning authority.

 Just before the vote, council members praised the developers for their responsiveness to neighbors' concerns.

"It's highly unusual that we have most of the issues addressed by the time we're voting on it," Mayor Scott Slifka said.

Slifka also thanked the developers for the investment in West Hartford at a time when many retailers are struggling.

"This is a great start," he said. "This may be every bit just as important as Blue Back for another part of town."